Food container display device



April 18, 1961 P. BELLIS FOOD CONTAINER DISPLAY DEVICE Filed July 22,1959 INVENTOR.

PflUL 55LL/ 5 United States Patent FOOD CONTAINER DISPLAY DEVICE PaulBellis, Needham, Mass, assignor to The Landmark Corporation, Hoboken, N.J.

Filed July 22, 1959, Ser. No. 828,872

Claims. (Cl. 40-126) The present invention relates to a novel displaydevice for food, and more-particularly to a display device simulatingcanned or packaged meats or the like.

In the packaging of foods, for example hams or other meats, it iscustomary to pack such foods under vacuum in hermetically-sealed cans toprevent spoilage. This presents a problem in displaying such foodstuffsfor sale, since, if the can is opened, the food will spoil or decayquickly, and on the other hand, the purchaser cannot see the food whenthe container is sealed. It is desirable, however, to display thecontents of the container, since the purchaser would be more ready toaccept the same if the food were visually presented in the market.

Heretofore, the only manner in which perishable packed foods could bedisplayed in stores was by means of photographs or illustrations. Suchmeans is not as effective from a merchandising standpoint as thedisplaying of the goods in the environment of its container, so that theprospective customer can ascertain what is to be found in the sealedcontainer.

Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide adisplay device simulating an opened or sectioned container with thevisual representation of the contents therein.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a display device,which is realistic in appearance, and is not subject to waste orspoilage during display due to contamination of the product therein.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensiveand permanent type of food display device which can be picked up andhandled by prospective purchasers.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent during the course of the following specification when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a display device incorporating thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of Pig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig- 2, through a modified display devicemade in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and in particular to Fig. 1,there is shown a display device made in accordance with the presentinvention, and simulating a vacuum-packed ham product, or the like. Thedisplay device 10 includes a container in the form of a metallic can 12which has respective top, bottom and side walls 14, 16, and 18. In theform illustrated herein, the can 12 is of the type in which processedham or other meats is usually packed, and for display purposes, it iscontemplated that the actual container used in packaging the food,including its labelling, be employed. The

can 12 has upper and peripheral flanges 20 and 22 which a border the topand bottom walls 14 and 16, said flanges 20 and 21 serving as theconnection between the side wall 18 with the top and bottom walls.

In accordance with the present invention, a food con tainer is splittransversely approximately at its center to form two sections, thelatter being hinged together at the rear of the container. In theexample illustrated in the drawings, the can 12 is split transverselyslightly above its center line, this being preferably performed bycutting through a sealed but empty can from the front to the rearthereof. As shown in the drawings, the cut extends through the top wall14, the upper peripheral flange 20, and the side wall 18 up to thebottom wall 16, which remains intact and uncut.

When the can 12 is cut in the manner described above, there is formedtwo separate sections 24 and 26 which are hollow and empty, and whichhave open ends facing each other at the dividing line formed by the cut.The sections 24 and 26 are joined and held together by the uncut portion16a of the bottom wall 16 adjacent the cut, this uncut portion 16:: ofthe metal can providing a hinge about which the sections 24 and 26 maybe bent relative to each other.

The sections 24 and 26 are then separated-and filled with a heavymaterial 28 through their open ends. The material 28 may be wood,plaster of Paris, or other suit able material selected to haveapproximately the same weight as the food normally contained in the can12, so that the prospective purchaser, in lifting the display, mayreceive a sensory illusion of the product as well as a visual one. Infilling the container, the filler material 28 is provided with plavarsurfaces 39 and 32 the open ends of the container sections 24 and 26,the plavar surfaces being fiush with said open ends, as shown in Fig. 2.

The exposed plavar surfaces 30 and 32 of the filler material 28 are theneach covered by sheets 34 and 36 representing a pictorial likeness ofthe food normally contained in the can 12. For this purpose, the sheets34 and 36 bear illustrations or photographs in natural color of the foodproduct. For example, the sheets may bear colored photographs of cutends of processed harm. The shopper is then presented with a displaywhich appears to be a container and its contents split apart with thecontents exposed to view.

In use, the sections 24 and 26 of the can 12 are spread apart at thehinge portion 16a, exposing the sheets 34 and 36 with their pictoriallikenesses of the meat contents. The can in the open position may thenbe placed in the store window or upon the counter so that shoppers areable to see what will be found inside the scaled container.

In the modified embodiment shown in Fig. 3, the can 38 is completelysplit apart transversely through its entire depth, leaving two separatedbody sections 40 and 42 respectfully. Hinge sections 44, 46 are thenattached to the respective body sections 40 and 42. The body sectionsare then fitted together so that the hinge sections 44, 46 are alignedand a pin 48 is then passed through the hinge sections to secure thesections. Thus, the can body sections are joined by actual hinges ratherthan by the uncut portion of the rear wall which served as a hinge inthe embodiment of Fig. 2.

While preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed herein, it is to be understood that numerous additions,changes and omissions may be made in such embodiments without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

I. A display device for simulating a sealed food container split open toreveal its contents, said device comprising a metal container cuttransversely adjacent its center to form two separate sections havingopen ends at said cut, opaque members respectively extending across theopen ends of the respective sections to cover the same with opaquemembers each bearing a pictorial likeness of if 2,979,84t

a cut section of the food normally contained in said container, andhinge means joining the rear ends of said container sectionsadjacent'said cut with the open ends thereof facing each other. i a

2. A display device according to claim 1 in which each of the containersections are filled with a relatively heavy filler material toapproximate the weight of a container filled with food.

3. A display device for simulating a sealed food container split open torev al its contents, said device comprising a metal container cuttransversely'adjacent its center to form two separate sections havingopen ends at said cut, a filler of heavy, solid, non-perishable materialin each of said sections, each filler having a planar end surfacesubstantially flush with the cut open ends of the respective containersection, a sheet-covering the planar end surface of each filler, eachsheet bearing a pictorial representation of a cut section of the foodnormally contained in said container, and hinge means joining the rearends of said container sections adjacent said out with the open endsthereof facing each other.

4. A display device for simulating a sealed food container split open toreveal its contents, said device comprising a metal container having -afront wall, side walls, and a rear wall, said container being cuttransversely adjacent its center through its front and side walls toform two separate sections having open ends at said cut, a filler ofheavy, solid, non-perishable material in each of said sections, eachfiller having a planar end surface substantially flush with the cutopenendsof the'respective container section, a sheet covering the planar endsurface of each filler, each sheet bearing a pictorial representation ofa cut section of the food normally contained in said container, the rearwall of the container being uncut and havinga portion in alignment withsaid out serving as a bend line for said container sections.

5. A display devicefor simulating a'sealed food container split open toreveal its contents, said device com prising a metal containercuttransversely adjacent its center to form two separate sections havingopen ends at said cut, a filler of-heavy, solid,-non pe rishablematerial in each of said sections, each filler having a planarReferences Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 587,122Hingher July 27, 1897 1,962,465, Schoolcraft June 12,1934 2,141,760

Mould Dec, 27, 1938

